Methods and apparatus for acoustic treatment of samples for heating and cooling

Abstract

Methods and systems relate to enhancing heat transfer between a vessel wall and a sample or coupling medium during focused acoustic processing. The vessel containing the sample may include a heat exchanger on an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the vessel that can have any suitable shape or dimension that increases the surface area of the vessel wall. In some embodiments, heat exchanger features may disrupt a boundary layer of a liquid sample at the vessel wall during focused acoustic processing. Accordingly, the temperature of the liquid sample can be appropriately controlled. In some cases, heating and/or cooling of the liquid sample may be performed efficiently. In an embodiment, a liquid sample may be heated at a rate of at least about 25 degrees C. per ml per minute.

1 . A method for acoustic treatment of a sample contained in a vessel, comprising:
 providing a vessel containing a liquid sample, the vessel having a wall in contact with the liquid sample, the wall including a heat exchanger on an inner surface that is in contact with the liquid sample;   applying acoustic energy from an acoustic energy source to the liquid sample to cause movement of portions of the liquid sample near the vessel wall; and   using the heat exchanger on the inner surface of the vessel wall to interact with moving portions of the liquid sample and disrupt a boundary layer of the liquid sample at the vessel wall, disruption of the boundary layer enhancing heat transfer between the vessel wall and the liquid sample.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 simultaneous with disrupting the boundary layer, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the vessel wall to heat the vessel wall and increase the vessel wall's temperature above a temperature of the liquid sample.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein heating the vessel wall causes heat transfer from the vessel wall to the liquid sample to raise the temperature of the liquid sample above a temperature of a coupling medium in contact with an exterior of the vessel. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the vessel wall is below a temperature of the liquid sample, and disrupting the boundary layer causes heat transfer from the liquid sample to the vessel wall so as to lower a temperature of the liquid sample. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of raised areas and/or grooves on the vessel wall. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger extends around an entire internal periphery of the vessel wall and extends along at least a portion of a length of the vessel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes features that are molded integrally with the vessel wall. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel wall includes a heat exchanger on an outer surface to interact with an environment outside of the vessel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 simultaneous with disrupting the boundary layer, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the vessel wall to heat the vessel wall and heat the liquid sample at a rate of at least about 25 degrees C. per ml per minute.   
     
     
         10 . A method for acoustic treatment of a sample contained in a vessel, comprising:
 providing a vessel containing a liquid sample, the vessel having a wall in contact with the liquid sample, the wall including a heat exchanger on an outer surface;   providing a coupling medium in contact with the heat exchanger of the vessel, the coupling medium having a temperature that is different from a temperature of the liquid sample; and   disrupting a boundary layer between the liquid sample and the wall by transmitting acoustic energy through the coupling medium and to the vessel and liquid sample to cause movement of portions of the liquid sample, disruption of the boundary layer enhancing heat transfer between the liquid sample and the vessel wall.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of raised areas and/or grooves on the outer surface of the vessel wall. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 simultaneous with disrupting the boundary layer, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the vessel wall to heat the vessel wall and increase the vessel wall's temperature above a temperature of the liquid sample.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein heating the vessel wall causes heat transfer from the vessel wall to the liquid sample to raise the temperature of the liquid sample above the temperature of the coupling medium. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a temperature of the vessel wall is below a temperature of the liquid sample, and disrupting the boundary layer causes heat transfer from the liquid sample to the vessel wall so as to lower a temperature of the liquid sample. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the vessel is one of a plurality of vessels in a multi-well plate. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger extends around an entire external periphery of the vessel wall and extends along at least a portion of a length of the vessel. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the heat exchanger includes features that are molded integrally with the vessel wall. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the vessel wall includes a heat exchanger on an inner surface to interact with the liquid sample. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 simultaneous with disrupting the boundary layer, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the vessel wall to heat the vessel wall and heat the liquid sample at a rate of at least about 25 degrees C. per ml per minute.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the temperature of the coupling medium is lower than a temperature of the liquid sample, and the step of disrupting causes a temperature of the liquid sample to be reduced. 
     
     
         21 . A method for acoustic treatment of a sample contained in a vessel, comprising:
 providing a vessel containing a liquid sample, the vessel having a wall with an inner surface in contact with the liquid sample;   providing a coupling medium in contact with an outer surface of the vessel;   applying acoustic energy from an acoustic energy source through the coupling medium to the vessel wall to heat the vessel wall and increase the vessel wall's temperature above a temperature of the liquid sample; and   simultaneous with applying acoustic energy to heat the vessel wall, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the liquid sample to disrupt a boundary layer of the liquid sample at the vessel wall so as to enhance heat transfer from the vessel wall to the liquid sample and to raise the temperature of the liquid sample above a temperature of the coupling medium, heating of the liquid sample being performed at a rate of at least about 25 degrees C. per ml per minute.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the coupling medium that couples acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the vessel wall is a liquid. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the coupling medium is at a temperature that is lower than a temperature of the liquid sample. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 subsequent to heating the liquid sample to a temperature greater than the temperature of the coupling medium, stopping heating of the vessel wall to cool the vessel wall, and applying acoustic energy to the liquid sample to disrupt a boundary layer of the liquid sample at the vessel wall so as to enhance heat transfer from the vessel wall to the liquid sample and to cool the liquid sample.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the coupling medium includes liquid water and the acoustic energy source includes a transducer in contact with the liquid water. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the acoustic energy is focused to form a focal zone of acoustic energy that is located at least in part at the vessel wall. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the acoustic energy is focused to form a focal zone of acoustic energy that is located inside the vessel. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the liquid sample increases in temperature at a rate of at least 50 degrees C. per ml per minute. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 subsequent to raising the temperature of the liquid sample above a temperature of the coupling medium, transferring heat from the vessel wall to the coupling medium via the heat exchanger so as to lower the temperature of the vessel wall; and   subsequent to raising the temperature of the liquid sample, applying acoustic energy from the acoustic energy source to the liquid sample to disrupt the boundary layer of the liquid sample at the vessel wall to transfer heat from the liquid sample to the vessel wall and lower the temperature of the liquid sample.   
     
     
         30 . A vessel for holding a liquid sample to be treated with acoustic energy, comprising:
 a vessel having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface and defining an interior volume to hold a liquid sample; and   a heat exchanger feature at the inner surface of the wall, the heat exchanger feature including physical structure that disrupts a boundary layer of the liquid sample at the vessel wall in response to sample movement caused by acoustic energy applied to the sample.   
     
     
         31 . The vessel of  claim 30 , wherein the heat exchanger feature includes a plurality of raised areas on the vessel wall. 
     
     
         32 . The vessel of  claim 30 , further comprising a heat exchanger feature on the outer surface of the wall. 
     
     
         33 . The vessel of  claim 30 , wherein the interior volume is between 1 μL and 100 milliliters.